MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by Northern Trust Corp

Key Points

• Northern Trust Corp has reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 9.4%, owning 397,301 shares, valued at approximately $58.3 million.
• Analysts have mixed ratings for MSA Safety Incorporated, with a consensus target price of $189.20 and varying recommendations from "buy" to "hold."
• MSA recently reported earnings of $1.93 per share, exceeding estimates, along with a dividend yield of 1.2% scheduled for payment on September 10th.

Northern Trust Corp lowered its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 9.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 397,301 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 41,073 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp owned about 1.01% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $58,280,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $100,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $142,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on MSA. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson lifted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.4%

NYSE:MSA traded down $2.38 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $170.50. The company's stock had a trading volume of 186,663 shares, compared to its average volume of 228,205. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.32 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $173.54 and a 200-day moving average of $161.52. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $127.86 and a 52-week high of $187.41.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.01 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is 30.24%.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.